The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-02-22
" CHINA: THE SLEEP AND THE AWAK-
ENING."

Impressions OF China, its people, their
idiosyncrancies, their destiny both at
home and abroad have been copiously
dealt with from variety of different
standpoints, but as a rule by alien pens
1t is a comparatively rare event that the
literature of Western civilization is
graced by a contribution from a Chi
nese gentleman OF liberal education and
high culture. The recent article of the
Marquis Tseng to the January number
of the "Asiatic Quarterly Review is
therefore likely to attract more than Or
binary attention, the more so by reason
OF the high official position which the
writer occupies as representative OF the
Middle Kingdom in Europe.
The position of the Chinese Empire
relatively to the other nations of the
earth is unique, and by virtue of its mag
nitude it is matter of no small con-
Germ that that position should be as &C
curately defined as may be. In several
important particulars the Empire is
without a parallel. There is no other
instance in which a single race of be-
tween three and four hundred millions
of human beings are gathered together
under one ruler, and the Marquis would |
have us believe that their principal |
source of strength is the ''implicit fideli- |
ty'' to the Powers that be by which they |
are characterized, that the mutual re.
lance which the Government and peo-
pie habitually place i'll each others fun
damental institutions gives them an in
estimable advantage in dealing with the
feyerish changes of foreign opinion, and |
that by virtue of mutual confidence
China can tempOrize without fear of do
IN este intrigue or any Outburst of popu-
lar feeling against the Government.
Bearing in mind this position and the
fact that the experiences of the last half
century, while teaching China her
weakness they also discovered to herher
strength it is satisfactory to have the
assurance of a responsible representative
of the Empire that this awakening will
not be menace to the West; that the
consciousness of a wly-discovered
power, will not make the Chinese aggres-
sive; that they are "eminentlv peace
full" and care III no need of finding in
other lands an outlet for surplus popu-
lation." However ready the nations OF
the case, it scarcely accords
with the facts as we know them in these
Islands as they are known in the West
ern States of America, certain of the
States of Central and South
America and in the Australian Colonies.
Peaceful the Chinese are as people,
but they are also aggressive, and the
particular form OF aggression which they
are wont so effectively to practice, that
Of successful competition in the arts of
peace, is one calculated to win for them
a more abiding supremacy than would
however brilliant, by force of
arms 1t is no new thing to learn that.
he Chinese Government is inclined, if
not to discourage emigration, at least to
lake no steps TO promote it, and
his is corroborated by the Marquis
put while this may be the Imperial pol
cy, Individual Chinese, whose numbers
ire not few, pursue very different one, !
mpelled by motives of personal ag
knowing well that where
hey can earn but few cents at home, !
lollars are often as easily acquired {
broad t
A considerable portion of the article is t
devoted to showing that there is more d
atent energy in the Celestial Empire
han is generally supposed outside its
orders, a fact which is probably less APP
aren't to the European mind than it is
us on the western side of the Rockies.
he full text is not to hand up to the a
resent, but judging from the fragments
hich have reached us its general pur al
ort would appear to be to augment the H
-estige OF China in diplomatic circles. C